


Little Hope

by MeganRidyard99



Series: The Dark Pictures Anthology (Fanfic Universe) [2]
Category: Little Hope - Fandom, Silent Hill (Video Game Series), The Dark Pictures: Little Hope (Video Game), The Dark Pictures: Man of Medan (Video Game), Until Dawn (Video Game), Visage (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Autism Spectrum, Deaf Character, F/F, F/M, Family, Female Protagonist, First Love, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Friendship/Love, M/M, Multi, POV Original Female Character, Past Lives, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Psychological Horror, Reincarnation, Teen Romance, Witchcraft, Witches, Young Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-09
Updated: 2020-11-08
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:36:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,847
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26918236
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MeganRidyard99/pseuds/MeganRidyard99
Summary: Lily Anderson, a 17 year-old teenager on the autistic spectrum, has been living in Ashfield with her parents and despite the bullying she faces at university, life has been fairly normal ... but what happens when a trip ends in turmoil and she, her best friend Andrew, her classmates and professor find themselves trapped in a town named Little Hope? - Andrew/OC, AU of the Dark Pictures Anthology.
Relationships: Abraham Alastor/Original Female Character(s), Andrew (Dark Pictures)/Original Female Character(s), Anthony Clarke/Original Female Character(s)
Series: The Dark Pictures Anthology (Fanfic Universe) [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1999504
Comments: 4
Kudos: 12





	1. Chapter 1: Lily

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone, and welcome to a little project I'm conjuring up called Little Hope. This is basically an AU of the Dark Pictures Anthology with an original character named Lily thrown into the mix. She may be introverted, I hope you all like her. :) Also, apologies if the characters are OOC because this is my first time writing for the DPA Universe. I will admit, I'm a tad nervous because of that too. :(
> 
> Anyway, feel free to leave your thoughts in a review and I hope you all enjoy Chapter 1! :)
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own The Dark Pictures Anthology (Man of Medan & Little Hope), Silent Hill, Visage, Until Dawn, Mario, Sonic, Star Wars, Marvel. DC, 13 Reasons Why, Grand Theft Auto V, Hunger Games, Jaws, Dying Light, Walking Dead or The Cured. All rights go to the original owners. All of the characters and events in this story are fictitious. Other references to real life places, events and individuals, living or dead, are purely coincidental.

**Chapter 1: Lily**

Hello friend. _Hello friend_ , that... that doesn't feel right. Do you want a different name? That's a slippery slope though, because we have to remember that you're in my head. _B*gger_ , I can't believe I'm about to tell you my story...!

I never really told you much about myself, did I? Well to start with, people saw me as your normal geeky nerd. But to be honest with you, I'm nowhere _near_ normal, because I'm on the autistic spectrum and I suffer from social anxiety, as well as hearing loss. This affects how I function in everyday life, such as socialising with people. Sure, some of them were willing to give me a chance and I appreciated that. But...they didn't work out, they never did and that's made my anxiety worse over the years.

_Well, at least I have my family and a few friends to help me cope._

On a different note, everyone has media productions, topics and people that they are interested in; favourite movie, television show or cute band, you get the idea. My interests were similar, but they were _a lot_ different than the stereotypical teenager's interests. Since I was nine, I've been a huge fan of Sonic the Hedgehog. I've played the games I was able to get my hands on, I watched some of the television shows and I bought the merchandise that I could. My bedroom's walls are covered in video game posters and my childhood plush toys of the characters helped me calm down whenever I had an anxiety attack because of bullying. I also have a little lapis ring which was a gift on my 13th birthday and that helped soothe my anxiety too.

So, feel free to grab a snack and settle in - because I'm about to tell you the story of a little adventure I had a while back. I was seventeen years old, a Freshman at university and preparing to go on a trip with my class.

_But neither of us had the slightest idea what was around the corner..._

* * *

A single circle in an endless spin, revealing the lights of a carousel.

A girl struggling to break free from chains, underwater.

As above, so below.

...

They say that it was the sense of terror that hit you. The snow swirling across an abandoned carnival at night, the smells of fresh blood, metal grating and matching cages with grotesque figures inside were dotted here and there. The combination felt like a scene from a stereotypical horror film.

I emerged from the main entrance, scanning my surroundings with caution and shivering, allowing the sounds of snow crunching underneath my boots to greet my ears as I shortly stopped in my tracks. "W-Where am I?"

Just as those words left my mouth, I suddenly felt a heavy weight in my right hand. _Huh?_ Glancing down, I took notice of the bloodstained switchblade I was clutching tightly and the lit flashlight sitting in the right breast pocket of my jacket. _Well - good to know I'm armed, at least. A knife's better than nothing, anyway._

Taking in my surroundings again for a little longer, I eventually found myself turning round to see a golden neon sign at the top of the entrance building which read: **_Lakeside Amusement Park._**

_Well, that's one question answered._ _But how come I ended up here, though? I don't remember booking a vacation to Silent Hill._

Pushing those thoughts to one side, I decided to rack my brains and look for somebody who could help me get out of here. Glancing around, I notice multiple people dressed in bloodied pink bunny mascot costumes lying on the metal grating. _Okay, try and wake them up, go._ Following my mental instruction, I ran over to one on my left and shook him to awake him ... but to no avail. And the worse thing about it? He had _no_ pulse and I had a feeling that there was no hope for me to resuscitate him or call for help. I tried waking up the next dude, got the same result. Rince, repeat, rince, repeat and I found myself running back frantically where I came from to pry the metal gates open in a panic - but they were rusted shut!

_Nononono, I have to bail out of here! How do I get out?!_

_Okay, okay, stop and think Lily. Maybe there's something here that can help you?_

After turning and venturing back into the abandoned area, I scanned my surroundings once more and eventually came across a wide map stand. _Ah ha, jackpot!_ Walking over, I took in the information that was presented. _Okay so, I'm close to the Mountain Coaster which is near the Borley Haunted Mansion. And after that, there's the... Happy Carousel? Bingo!_

I felt a little more at ease now that I had a plan in motion and that I knew a merry-go-round was here. The carousel was one of two sanctuaries for me as well, a place where I could feel safe from the unforgiving world and be myself essentially.

_Yes, I know that's weird. But that's how I feel._

Following the map's instructions, I steeled myself together and walked over to a dirty door on a building to my right. _Okay - the sooner you get to the Carousel, the better._ I pulled down the handle, opened the door and ventured into a case of pitch black which was thankfully illuminated by my flashlight. And almost immediately, the sounds of rapid footsteps greeted my ears. _What th—_

**_CHOMP!_ **

I screamed as a pair of razor-sharp jaws slammed into my right leg, drawing blood. Glancing down during my attempts to shake my assailant off, I saw a black and white dog with its' head _split_ into two gnawing my leg. _Nononono!_ Without hesitation, I delivered a hard kick which sent it back against the wall and took off sprinting (or rather, limping). _What the hell was that?!_

My terror grew _even worse_ when I high-tailed it into the next area and allowed growling to greet my ears. _Oh sh*t!_ Advancing towards me was a tall brown feminine _creature?!_ with huge arms, mini skirt, high heels and a weird-looking face which I didn't want to describe. _Ignore it and run!_ Allowing my survival instincts to kick in further, I shoved my way past just as it lunged at me with a sharp bone-like spear emerging out of its' arm and dashed through the metal gate towards a rusty staircase, soon taking notice of a sign pointing to the Mountain Coaster.

_Yes!_

I limped up the staircase as fast as my legs could carry me, trying my best to ignore the monsters and focus on getting to the carousel. Eventually I managed to reach the top of the Mountain Coaster and instantly dashed for the control building next to the tracks, frantically attempting to pry the door's lock but to no avail!

" _Come on!_ " I cried out with terror, kicking the door in a fit of anger and heaving frightened gasps.

_You're going to have to wing it and head on the tracks, Lily. Go._

Bearing that in mind, I pulled myself away from the control building and opened the metal gate to the tracks. Once I stepped onto them, I began limping my way down with the tracks occasionally twisting and turning. On the bright side, I was safe from the... monsters, let's call them, but the pain in my leg was unfortunately worsening by the minute as blood stained my jean leg in a dark crimson. _You can stitch it up when you find a first-aid kit or something. Just wing it for now._

It took a while for me to limp down the roller coaster tracks and I thought I was safe ... that is, until I heard the distant rumble of a running car.

_Oh no._

The rumbling slowly grew louder and louder, prompting me to scan my surroundings in panic. _Oh god, where is it coming from?!_

Louder and louder. _Okay, you need to jump!_

A pair of four lights suddenly emerged at this point, sending me into a tailspin of panic.

Steeling myself, I prepared for a running start and lunged forwar— _JUMP!_

A blow of _**excruciating** _agony suddenly thundered in my left side and the last thing I remember is screaming as I fell.

_NO!_

* * *

**Lily**

**Room 303 in Rosewater Apartments, Ashfield**

**06:00AM } May 27, 2020**

A heaved gasp ripped out of my throat as I awoke with a start, expecting to feel my leg thundering up a storm ... but instead, I didn't feel anything as I was in my bed at home with no signs of injury whatsoever. _Oh thank god it was a nightmare!_

My bedroom's walls were painted in white and had posters from my favourite video game franchises hooked up, as well as numerous pictures from my life. The floor was a tawny brown and I also had a simple desk and chair perched next to a shelf of drawers housing my television set, Playstation 4 and Illuminated World Globe. Bonus points went to a single window standing proudly next to the right side of my bed, which allowed me to get a decent look at the city outside.

_You're fine Lily, you're okay..._

My bedroom door creaked open, prompting me to groggily turn my head to see my Mum, Claire, entering to check in. She was a really lovely woman in her forties who looked pleasant in her work uniform; a blue long sleeved collared shirt with darker jeans and a pair of black boots. The resemblance between us was also uncanny, so much that we had been mistaken for sisters a couple of times before! Not that either of us are complaining.

"Hi Lily!" She greeted pleasantly. "I hope I didn't wake you up?"

"You didn't, it's fine," I reassured her with a tired smile, rubbing sleepy dust out of my eyes.

"Are you okay?" Mum asked me with concern, sensing that I was still a tad on edge.

" _I-I-_ I don't know," I briefly stammered. _Stupid nightmare!_

"Why, what's wrong?" My mother questioned worriedly, walking to sit on the edge of my bed.

"Well," I began nervously explaining. "I, um, - I had a nightmare, essentially. I was wondering around Lakeside Amusement Park,"

"The one in Silent Hill?"

"Yep, _and..._ " A disbelieving chuckle. "This is gonna sound like the dumbest thing in the world, but I got attacked by these weird-looking monsters. So, I try and escape them whilst I'm bleeding out because of a dog which had its' head split into two - only for a rollercoaster to come and run me over,"

Hearing this, Mum glanced at me in shock. "I'm sorry you went through that, Lily. _That_ , that must have been terrifying,"

"Yeah, it was," I confirmed sadly. "You wouldn't happen to have an idea on what it means, do you?"

"No - I'm not the greatest with this kind of thing, sorry," My mother replied apologetically.

"No, it's okay," I reassured her bravely. "It was probably random, anyhow,"

"It could be," She agreed. "Anyway, it's the same as usual and come on through when you're ready,"

"Okay, no problem," I replied happily, pulling myself up to my feet whilst Mum left me to it.

The first thing I did after making my bed was grab my blue hairbrush and quickly run it through my hair, checking to see if there were any knots present. Thankfully there weren't, which lead to me tying it back in a ponytail with bangs framing my face. I then stripped out of my green t-shirt and dark bottoms into a green butterfly shirt, a pair of denim jeans and black combat boots. After slipping my treasured lapis ring on my right ring finger, I took my IPhone and headphones from the set of drawers, placing them inside my blue rucksack which had a adorable classic Sonic key ring attached. Upon zipping it up, I grabbed it by one of the straps and exited to turn a right into the bathroom to finish getting ready.

I felt a mixture of emotions about this week, mainly anxiety. Why? Because I unfortunately had to spend five days at university, which is pretty much the best setting for teenage drama _and..._ And on top of that, I wasn't brave enough to strike up a conversation with my classmates because of the bullying I went through. But despite the cons, I was glad that uni had a couple of pros unlike high school. One: the staff are a lot nicer and two: I was lucky enough to find some people who see me for me!

_Uni life became more bearable after I met them, too. Everything would be okay as long as we stuck together._

After finishing the essentials, I exited the bathroom to find myself taking a quick right into the living room, allowing the sounds of a television programme to greet my ears. The location in question again had a much wider space filled with a dark brown sofa and chair which sat a mere distance away from each other. A light brown table sat in front of the couch with the large window encased by green curtains. The walls and ceiling were painted in a bright white, whilst the latter fan and floor were painted in a darkish grey. The kitchen on the right side of the living room looked a little different as its' walls were draped in bright white tiles and the wooden floor was a lighter grey. The counters were painted in a darker shade whilst the wooden shelves and drawers shared the same colour as the former.

"Look at you, all pretty!" Mum complimented cheerfully, once I placed my bag by my chair and sat down.

"Thank you!" I giggled. "I, um, I take it Dad's still sleeping?" _Considering he's got the day off. Lucky._

"Yep," My mother sighed, playfully rolling her eyes with mild annoyance before a concerned look painted her face. "I was going to ask - how are you feeling about today, considering you're going to be with your class?"

""I'm..." I began, finding myself trailing off for two seconds as I struggled to calm my nerves. "First of all, I'm _glad_ that I'm going to be with them, even though we don't talk much,"

"Perhaps, your trip could be an opportunity to work on your fears?"

Hearing this, I frowned. "I don't understand, what do you mean?"

"You've told me that you're scared to strike up a conversation with them, which is fine - I understand your reasons for that," Mum began to point out. "But you're okay with Andrew, right?"

"Yeah, definitely," I replied with a small smile, suddenly feeling more at ease. _I wonder how he's doing, by the way?_

"Well, why don't you try and get to know the rest of your class a bit better too?" My mother suggested. "You could start by asking them questions about what they like to do for fun and go from there, see what happens,"

" _O-O-_ Okay, yeah, I'll give that a go," I stammered hopefully. _Please let it work out!_ "What will you guys be doing, whilst I'm gone - by the way?"

"I don't know what your Dad will be doing - but I've got work again; just making calls and treating patients as usual," Mum answered sadly, shortly perking up. " _But_ at least I have the afternoon off, so that's a plus,"

I chuckled. "Yeah, I agree,"

We both continued on socialising whilst watching television and helping ourselves to breakfast after sorting out money to buy lunches with. Almost two hours later, it was time for me to go. After I washed up, I switched the TV off and upon checking to see if my purse, house key and uni essentials were inside, I slung my arms through my rucksack's straps and off Mum and I went. Our room was located on the third floor of the apartment complex we lived in, so there were only three flights of stairs to descend which was a little tough occasionally if we were tired out after a long day. But once my mother and I walked out into the summery weather, my spirits mildly soared back up as I prepared myself for the events ahead.

_Okay, here's hoping that our trip will be great..._


	2. Chapter 2: Andrew

**Chapter 2: Andrew**

**Lily**

**University of Ashfield, North Ashfield**

**08:20AM } May 27**

"Bye Lily, hope you have a good day today!"

"You too, Mum!"

I waved at my mother as she travelled to St. Jerome's Hospital for work. The journey was just like any other; the two of us chatting away during our walk past the South Ashfield Heights apartment complex and quickly stopping in one of the liquor stores so we could buy our lunches. Afterwards, we would descend the staircase into South Ashfield's Subway Station and head for the Lynch Street Line, so we could access the train for the northern neighbourhood. Seems simple enough ... but every time we walked past South Ashfield Heights, I always had this negative feeling well up.

_I didn't know why, but... there was just something about that place which irked me._

Shaking the thoughts away, I followed the crowds of students into the building. As most universities are, Ashfield's one was massive. There were wide open spaces such as the canteen and library, along small and medium sized spaces which happen to be the classrooms in one huge white building with five floors. Bonus points go to the sports area outside for our team, the Ashfield Tigers. They're basically the stereotypical cute basket ball players who the girls fawn over... _Pfft._

_At least they're not gonna be playing any time soon._

The already packed reception had a very large space with the walls painted in white and the floor's tiles painted in a silver-grey colour. On my left, there was a long hallway with its' right side crowded with blue lockers and travelling down to the very end and turning right whilst on my other side, there was a small area filled with two grey sofas and a white table. There was also a grey staircase travelling up to the second floor and behind it, was a pathway leading down to the toilets and elevator. A few metres away from me was another sofa-filled area and a large white desk, filled with notebooks and leaflets. After collecting my class' register from a light-grey set of shelves near the desk, I walked through the hallway (whilst attempting to avoid the other students) and just before I reached my locker at the end, I decided to sneak a quick glance through the glass windows on my left at the city outside. The sounds of cars driving past vaguely greeted my ears, influencing me to ponder on how my seventeen years of existence went.

Every day usually went like this; I go there, collect the register, walk to my classroom, try my best to get through six hours of work without mentally killing anyone and head home at 4:30. The latter _was..._ pretty much one of two parts I looked forward to as my home was a sanctuary, somewhere I could feel safe and happy. My parents would be there and the Sonic characters would be there in their video games. We could all just be happy without having to deal with any horrible things, such as jobs or paying taxes for example. _I know this may sound weird, but... that's how I feel._ And the other part of my uni life that I looked forward to was, obviously, hanging out with the people who saw me for me.

_Speaking of which..._

"Hey! Lils!"

I had pulled myself away from the windows to continue walking, when a familiar excited voice (followed by a pair of footsteps jogging in my direction) greeted my ears. _Huh?_ Pausing in my tracks, I turned round and briefly blinked with surprise before my eyes lit up. _Oh. Andrew!_ "Hey, Andy,"

_Brain, if I could have a word? Why is my face feeling warm all of a sudden?!_

"Thanks for stopping," My 18 year-old friend, who was clad in a grey hooded jacket with rolled up sleeves, capri blue t-shirt with white horizontal and triangular lines, denim jeans and dark blue sneakers, chuckled shyly.

"That's okay," I smiled as we resumed walking side by side. "What's up?"

"Not much," Andrew replied. "Though, I have to admit - my head's buzzing because of how my morning started,"

"Why's that?" I asked in a concerned manner, quickly adding: "If you don't mind me asking, that is,"

"No, I don't mind," The older boy told me, as the two of us walked past the university's cafeteria, turned a right and began the trek down a long hallway. "I had this _really_ bizarre nightmare, for some reason. I was wandering through this amusement park in the middle of nowhere, Lakeside - I think it's called,"

"Right?"

" _And,_ " Andrew continued a tad nervously. _Oh no._ "And this girl was there, too - but I couldn't get her attention. _So..._ " A disbelieving chuckle. "I'm sorry, I'm going to sound insane here,"

"No, you're not," I tried to reassure him.

He smiled shyly, feeling more at ease. "Thanks. Anyway, she runs off and I go after her to make sure she's okay. Then, we both get attacked by these monsters - which I don't particularly want to describe and _it,_ " An anxious gulp. "It ends with the girl getting hit by a rollercoaster, that simple,"

I grimaced worriedly. " _Yikes,_ "

" _Right?_ " My classmate agreed, flashing me a nervous glance.

"Yeah, _I-I-_ I'm sorry that you went through that," I said, feeling bad for the poor guy. "I, um, I don't know if this might make you feel any better as well - but I had the same nightmare too,"

Andrew turned to face me in shock. " _Did you?!_ "

"Yep," I confirmed solemnly. "Except that it was just me, I didn't see anyone else and getting hit by that roller coaster was _not_ pleasant," _What if I was the girl he saw?_ Cue me forcing a brave grin on my face and shoving my thoughts back. "Besides, maybe our nightmares were completely random?"

The older boy pondered this momentarily. "Yeah, maybe you're right,"

As Andrew and I approached the end of the hallway, we turned left and began ascending a long staircase, knowing that our classroom was all the way up on the fifth floor. _This is gonna be all kinds of fun..._ Once the two of us reached said floor, we were shortly joined by three unfamiliar students whom I politely held the door open for. They seemed to be absorbed in their conversation as they strolled on past ( _wow._ ), but a slightly annoyed Andrew gave me a small smile before he walked into the hallway leading to our class. _Oh..._

"Thanks, Lily," He said kindly, sending an apologetic look in my direction.

"You're welcome," I responded with a quick reassuring glance, following him.

_I... I can't say I was expecting that...!_


	3. Chapter 3: Friendship

**Chapter 3: Friendship**

_A child with autism is not ignoring you. They are simply waiting for you to enter their world._

That's one example of my favourite quotes which I found online, because it describes everyone else who has autism and myself perfectly. We may be different, but what we have is one of many things that makes us who we are, essentially - and I think we should be seen for us, you know? If more people could do that instead of tossing us to one side then that would be great, it really would.

_But at least some people are willing to do that._

Seconds after I followed Andrew, I couldn't help but notice that he had decided to stay put instead of going on ahead like I thought he would. _Oh, hello. What's happening here?_

"Everything okay?" I frowned with concern.

"Yeah," He answered as we resumed walking side by side. "I just didn't want to leave you by yourself, that's all,"

A surprised yet appreciative look painted my face. "Oh, you didn't have to stick around for me. _I-_ I mean, I appreciate it, but still..." _Well, there I go stammering gibberish again. What's going on with me, does anyone know?_

"True - but I wanted to, you know?" My friend told me, smiling. _Aw..! You're sweet, Andrew._ Unfortunately, said smile faded when he added: "Plus, those students could have been nicer, come to think of it,"

"Don't worry about them," I reassured him, even though he was right. _I'm used to it, anyway. No biggie._ "Look, why don't we think about something else?"

"Okay, like what?" The older boy asked curiously.

"I don't know," I innocently shrugged, unaware that my friend was glancing at me with a hearty grin. Cue me racking my brains for a split second and... my mind just went mental. _For goodness sake. I literally cannot think straight today, can I?!_ " _I..._ First thing that comes to mind, really,"

"You tried to think of something, but you couldn't?"

"Yep," I shook my head with an amused sigh. "Lost my train of thought, _brilliant!_ "

"That's fine, Lils," Andrew laughed. "It happens all the time,"

"Thanks," I giggled, feeling glad to know that my friend was in happy spirits again. _Yay!_

By this point, the two of us reached the end of the corridor and turned a left to enter a rather chatty classroom. _Sounds like there are some people here, already. Cool._ It was just like any other with your typical chairs, desks, interactive whiteboard and colorful images plastered over the walls - but the one pro was this stack of brown bags which stood near our professor's desk ( _I wonder where he's at?_ ). These were referred to as compliment bags and a student would essentially write or sketch something for a classmate to pick up.

_Speaking of which, I think I've lost count of how many drawings I've done since starting uni._

"Hey guys!"

"Hey!"

"Hello," I greeted Conrad and his sister, Julia with a wave before I made a quick detour for John's desk to place the class' register box down. _Job done for the morning._ "How's everyone doing?"

"We're great, thanks," My 21 year-old friend, who was clad in a burberry plaid shirt, grey t-shirt, denim jeans and black converse sneakers, answered in a friendly manner. He then changed the subject a little _too_ excitedly: "Though, _JJ_ here has some good news," _Oh?_

"Really?" I asked with curiosity as I walked over to join them and a visibly nervous Andrew, who flashed a relieved smile when I stood next to him. _Hey, Andy!_

"Yes," Julia, who wore a pink summer shirt with tropical turquoise details sewn in the center, dark denim shorts and white sneakers, sighed amusedly. " _But_ I'm gonna wait until everyone's here before I spill the details,"

" _Oh,_ _come on!_ You're gonna leave those two in suspense!" Conrad protested with a grin, influencing her to playfully roll her eyes. _Dude..._

"The payoff is huge, guys," She reassured Andrew and I. "Trust me on that, okay?"

"Got it," I chuckled, whilst the 18 year-old nodded. _No problemo._ "How are you guys feeling about the trip, by the way?"

"We're both really excited!" Julia answered happily. "Right, Connie?"

"Yeah," Conrad confirmed, smiling. "How about you two? You both pumped?"

Hearing this, I couldn't help but frown. _Huh?_ "What does that mean?"

"Are you guys excited as well?"

"Oh, right!" I exclaimed in understanding. _Thanks for the heads up._ Cue me racking my brains for a second and exchanging a quick glance with Andrew. " _I..._ " For a split second there, I bl**dy froze. Why? Because on one hand, I wanted to tell my friends about my anxiety over the possibility of getting bullied again but the other was pestering me with nervous thoughts such as _what if they don't believe you?!_ I'm being silly, I know. Feel free to blame my anxiety for that. I also knew that I had to react quickly, because I didn't want my three classmates to start thinking of me as anti-social.

_You know what, Lily? Best to be upfront._

"I'm not too sure, to be honest," I answered, grimacing. "I mean, I _guess_ I'm excited but I'm a bit nervous too,"

"Why's that, Lils?" Andrew asked me worriedly.

"Yeah, why?" Julia, equally concerned.

I sadly shrugged. "I don't want to get ganged up on before we go," _As long as I don't run into them, that is..._

Hearing this, the two siblings exchanged a look before Conrad spoke. "Lily, I don't think that's gonna happen if you stick with us,"

"Yeah, those Mean Girls don't stand a chance," JJ scoffed in agreement. "Right, imagine you, me and Taylor in a wrestling match with those three - who would lose?"

"Them?" I asked in a surprised manner.

"There you go," The older girl confirmed with a satisfied smirk. _S-Sweet!_

I couldn't help but chuckle. "Okay, cheers guys,"

_Maybe I'm worrying for nothing?_


End file.
